# color-expert

A color theory and color science skill for designing OKLCH design system ramps, checking APCA contrast, and tuning generative palettes.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2700 installs · ★ 621
- Author: meodai
- License: CC-BY-4.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/meodai/skill.color-expert/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/meodai-color-expert

## What it does

This skill equips the agent with color science knowledge backed by a map of 180+ reference files in `references/INDEX.md`. It handles color naming, conversions, perceptual matching, accessible contrast checks, and token architecture across light and dark modes.

When building design systems, it structures reference tokens into semantic roles like surface or accent. The skill prioritizes OKLCH to create perceptually uniform ramps with flat step sizes, pointing to specialized tooling such as Huetone, Leonardo, or CuspHanger. For creative coding and WebGL shaders, it covers cosine palette formulas, spectral pigment mixing with Spectral.js or Mixbox, and anchor-based interpolation with Poline.

When you need a palette generator, the skill specifically advises using established libraries like Culori rather than hand-rolling math from scratch.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill color-expert -a claude-code
```
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill meodai-color-expert -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/meodai-color-expert/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/meodai-color-expert/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill meodai-color-expert -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/meodai-color-expert/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill meodai-color-expert -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/meodai-color-expert/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install meodai/skill.color-expert meodai-color-expert
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/meodai-color-expert/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill meodai-color-expert -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/meodai/skill.color-expert
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/meodai-color-expert/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add meodai/skill.color-expert --skill meodai-color-expert -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/meodai/skill.color-expert/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- build perceptually uniform color ramps in OKLCH
- verify UI background and text pairs against APCA or WCAG
- configure spectral pigment mixing for generative canvas shaders
- map reference palette tokens to semantic UI roles

## Example prompts
- Build a 9-step accent scale in OKLCH for light and dark mode with APCA contrast verification.
- How do I implement spectral color mixing in p5.js using Spectral.js to avoid muddy mid-tones?
- Suggest an IQ cosine palette formula for periodic generative strokes.

## Source text · SKILL.md · CC-BY-4.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: a9f45a6db2cd8ecf.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE a9f45a6db2cd8ecf
```text
---
name: color-expert
description: Use when working with color naming, color theory, color spaces, color definitions, or any task involving color knowledge - palettes, ramps, gradients, conversions, accessibility, perceptual matching, pigment mixing, print-vs-screen color, CSS color syntax, or historical color terminology. Use this skill whenever the user is choosing, comparing, generating, naming, converting, or explaining colors, even if they do not explicitly ask for "color theory."
---

# Color Expert

A comprehensive knowledge base for color-related work. See `references/INDEX.md` for a one-line-per-file map of 180+ reference files; this skill file contains the essential knowledge to answer most questions directly.

## How to Use This Skill

Match the response to the user's explicit request and clearly implied constraints from context. Five common modes:

**Concrete design or art project** — "help me pick colors for my logo / poster / illustration / app." Ask about medium (print, screen, paint, mixed), brand or mood, audience, accessibility needs, and any existing colors to harmonize with. Then propose. Don't lecture about CIE 1931 or OKLCH internals unless asked. Recommend specific tools and palettes that fit the constraints, not generic theory.

**Design system, ramps, or theme tokens** — "build me a 9-step accent scale", "palette for light + dark mode", "Tailwind/Radix-style ramps", "what's the right gray ramp for our brand?" Prioritize in this order:

- Use OKLCH to build perceptually uniform scales (consistent lightness across hues, no muddy mid-tones).
- Build a token graph: reference tokens (palette) → semantic tokens (surface, on-surface, accent, success, warning, danger) → component usage; see *Implementation Guidance* below.
- Verify every text/background pair against APCA or WCAG in both light and dark.
- Suggest tools only as needed: Huetone (LCH/OKLCH builder), Leonardo (contrast-ratio-driven ramps + adaptive theming, Adobe), Components.ai Color Scale (parametric), dittoTones (extract perceptual DNA from Tailwind/Radix), Color Buddy (lint). For dataviz sequential/diverging ramps specifically, CuspHanger (Wijffelaars model in OKLCH, in-gamut by construction) or viscm (the viridis editor: live perceptual-derivative diagnostics + CVD + grayscale while you drag control points).

The test for a sequential ramp is **flat perceptual derivative** — plot the perceptual step size between consecutive samples; it should be a horizontal line, in color *and* in grayscale. Bumps are regions where the ramp exaggerates change that isn't in the data (this is jet's core failure, not its ugliness).
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE a9f45a6db2cd8ecf

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